Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Meditations for the Proverbs 31 Woman

This week I have been drawn to Lamentation 3:2&3 and then to Ephesians 3:12-21. I have been meditating on these verses. The Spirit of God keeps drawing me to them. I am so grateful. Take a minute to savor them too...

Memory/Meditation verse: Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish, His mercies never end. They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion...I will put my hope in Him. ~ Lam. 3:22-24 (HCSB)

As I have journeyed this year to get to know this Proverbs 31 womanmore I have found myself withdrawing from all she represents. Withdrawal not because I don't believe or hope that I can become her but withdrawal because my failures at achieving her internal beauty has been costly in my daily living. If I studied about her relationship in raising kids-there would be drama in the house in my relationship with my girls. If the topic was her honoring of her husband, satans arrows would aim at my marriage. Seriously, the attacks made me want to take cover quickly and withdraw.Even to lament.

Don't you imagine the Proverbs 31 woman also felt this way on many days? Defeated. Weak. Unworthy. Ready to give up. She had to if she was indeed human. But look at our verse above...we do not perish because why? "Because of His faithful love..." I don't know friends, but when we examine all the characteristics of God...Holy, Faithful, Gracious, Magnificent, All-Knowing, Shepherd, Healer, (and we could go on forever)....would not His love be the greatest? How deep and how wide is this love? This love that is fueled in grace and mercy. This love that covers all things. This love that is given freely.

Each day when I awaken I need to be reminded that despite myself, He loves me. He loves you. Do we really get it? If we did then He would be "...our portion, our hope".

So then I heard a small portion of a sermon from a Chip Ingram on the radio today within Ephesians 3 and I am overwhelmed with the message of these familiar verses. Again, meditate on them as you think about His love. I pray you too will be overwhelmed...

12 Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Gods love + our spiritual dependence on Him=Completeness

Paul was suffering. He too must have reached a crossroads where he had to choose to give up or focus on God's love. He said, "Do not lose heart...". A Proverbs 31 Woman should do the same. She should come "boldly and confidentlyinto God's presence...", despite herself, because...

"...God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love that "does not perish". The kind of love that should drop us to our knees every morning and cause us to pray that"from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit...".

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love that results with"...Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him...."

Love. Amazing love. The kind of love which yeilds"...your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong..."

I want to be strong in God's love. I want to trust His love. I want to live in the shadow of His love. I want to have the "... power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is..."Love. Amazing love. The Kind of love that makes you"...complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." The kind of love that"through His mighty power at work within us..." will "...accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think..." not just in us but "...for generations to come."

Love. Amazing love.

This week...no, this month, I encourage you to pray these verses daily. I also encourage you to go here to listen to Pastor Ingram's series of sermons from which I heard that sample today. Feel the stirring of the Spirit in your heart, your mind and your soul.

Indeed, a "love that will not let me go", even when my feelings send me down a different path. God is the pursuer of our hearts. His love is long and wide and high and deep. We can never outrun his reach.

Philippians 3:10-11, Amplified

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body.

My Better Half....

He still takes my breath away!

My Spiritual Goal's thoughout the years...

2015 I am unsettled. I want God more...Revive deep spirituality in my heart; let me live near to the Great Shepherd, hear his voice, know its tones, follow its calls. "Lord, I cry out to you. I say, “You are my protection. You are all I want in this life.” ~ Ps. 142: 52014 Enough & Anchored: God is enough (focus) & I will be anchored in Him (action)."Lord," said Phillip, "Show us the Father, and that's ENOUGH for us." ~John 14:8 (HCSB). "[God's] hope is real & true, an ANCHOR to steady our restless souls, a hope that leads us back...to where God is..." ~ Heb 16:9 (The Voice)

2013: Diakono's Living-Loving Out Loud (LOL): having the heart to do something radical for God.Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. ~ Hebrews 13:16 (HCSB)2012: Living Out Loud (LOL): Losing control for what God wants me to do!! ~ Isaiah 58: 10-12 (Message)

2011 Goal: A Godly Woman's Journey: having a fuller understanding and expression of the love of God. ~ 2 Thes 3:5

2010 Goal: To grow my trust (faithfulness) in Him and to Praise (thankfulness) Him more!~Ps 63:1-8

2009 Goal: increase my prayer life ~ Col 4:2-6

2008 Goal: heart, mind, & action of a servant~ Isa 61:1-3

2007 Goal: Freedom from my past ~Ps 40:1-3

Siesta Scripture Memory Team 2011

In 2009 I started memorizing scripture with Beth Moore's Siesta Scripture Memory Team. It started a journey in my life that I now cherish. I didn't think my "older" brain could memorize scripture but it has and it has literally been my "life-line" in some of the most troubling times over these past few years. I encourage you to join us in this new year. Here are my chosen scripture throughout the years:

2015 Memory Verses: Ps 142: 5 (NCV);

Verse for the year 2014: “Lord,” said Philip, “show us the Father, and that’s enough for us.” ~ John 14:8 (HCSB)

One of my favorites...

To get your copy, click on the book and PLEASE remember to pray for Elaine as she journeys with breast cancer.

I am not a writer...I am a women of grace, who through life circumstances has learn what it means to live in and through Christ. I wouldn't change a thing in my life because of where it has brought me spiritually with my Lord (Psalms 40:1-3). I have a godly husband and a blended family with six girls!! I am blessed!! I am also nurse, an educator, and have served in youth and women's ministry. I started this blog years ago when I was active in women's ministry but life got difficult, and the pain and losses pulled me out of ministry. Though my heart longs to be back there, I have recently changed my focus here to be more of a legacy for our girls. As I grow more in love with Jesus every day, I pray and hope that I pass that on to them. If you have stumbled onto this blog, I pray that in my being open and transparent, you too see Christ in my living and are encouraged. As I study His word deeper, I strive to become more like Jesus. Therefore, my prayer for this blog comes from Isaiah 50:4 "Sovereign Lord, give me your words of wisdom, so that I will know how to comfort the weary and those who need to know Your grace. Morning by morning awaken me and open my understanding to Your will. Guide me to share it here".